Day 1: Monday 10th February
CloudMaster:
Arose from sleep at 3am, 3 hours sleep was all I could manage due to the anticipation and excitement of my forthcoming adventures!
Quick wake n bake with a last cup of proper homemade tea then off to get showered and changed.
4am, taxi arrives and I’m on way to the Airport, butterflies in my stomach. I think about what the wife said to me the previous evening and her words unsettle me slightly. The thing is Excel and I have only known each other as pals since February 2013 via ACD & FlyByNite’s chat room, we met once in late August 2013 for a couple of hours (geographically distant) but it was a brief encounter. Excel was on a job near me and came round for dinner which I made a superb job of cremating, lol. Anyhow we talked about my previous trip which was June 2013 as he was going the following week, his 1st trip. He told me he was staying at bed and net. The wife’s was pulling my leg and told me that I was effectively going on holiday with a stranger, could be serial killer for all I knew, lol…….
4.30am, taxi arrives at Gatwick and I’m into the massed ranks of the army of people clearing security, hand luggage only so 5 minutes and I’m through, very surprised! Time for a last hot brew in the UK, WC stop and then through to boarding, message on phone from Excel to say he is leaving home at his end. It’s happening, it finally sinks in, I’m going on yet another smoke up but this time with a new buddy! Boarding commences shortly and I’m on the plane for take off due at 6.10am, a slight delay as air traffic control say we have to wait 20 minutes.
8.10am arrive at Schipol after making up time in the air, not a graceful landing, just glad to be on terra firma again! Again out through passport control and over to the train station with my wheeled bag very quickly. I’m on the train to Central Station by 8.40am, as I sit I think about all the Coffeeshops we’ve chatted about, all the things we would like to do and the plans we had made over the last few months. It could all go to pot (pun intended) as we may not get on for 4 days, what if it’s awkward? hey ho I’m now thinking about my 1st Coffeeshop stop, its early and I have nearly an hour and half to kill before Excel arrives at the station. I weigh up my options and head for Prix Dami, not been there for few years so thought I’d check out this old favourite of mine.
9.20am, stood at the counter in Prix Dami, not too many customers but its so noisy, they are having the drinks delivery which involves getting trollies of drinks crates up and down 2 flights of stairs, each time they went up it was a fantastic loud crash to the ears. The decor on the ground floor is very pink and I’m fresh off a train and plane, feels very surreal. I politely ask the bud tender if he will allow me 2 grams but in different strain half gram measures, he declines but it was worth a try. I purchase 1g Super Silver Haze @ 11.50€ and sit in the front with my Chocomel and weed, need the drink more than the smoke as I’m parched. BT lets me take a menu pic, nice. I roll a few out of the gram leaving just a little for the vape in the apartment. I smoke one but don’t notice the effects as I’m just starting to relax. Chat to the doorman for a bit, finish my drink and smoke then think about heading back to the station to meet Excel.
I head off back to Central Station to meet Excel, he will arrive soon and now I can feel the effects coming through. I’m warm and light headed, slight sweat coming on, feel the high and it’s good, so good I can feel myself begin to grin…….
5 minute wait for Excel, he told me he would be wearing a red coat so not hard to spot (he was certainly wearing a red coat, that was for sure, lol. Sorry Excel but it had to be said…..
) saying that, I was wearing about 5 layers and a raincoat expecting sub arctic temperatures and downpours of one kind or another, lol.We greet each other and head off for the tram, he has a big bag for 3 nights, 4 days compared to my little wheels (over compensating I think,
). He notices my grin and asks if I had a chance to grab anything before he got there, my smile enlarges as I tell him the welcome pack is in my possession. Excel hands me back my chipkart which he had borrowed last year and tells me there is over 30€ on it to spend, he has his brothers from his previous trip so we jump on the tram to our digs.We are staying in the basement at bed and net on the Keizersgracht, short tram ride from town and just round the corner from the Rembrandtplein. The apartment looked really good on the website, bongs, pipes and a vape supplied. TV with PC and projector, nice chilling area. We stop close to the Albert Hein near the digs and grab a few supplies (teabags already in luggage oh yes, I’m from the UK). We walk to the Apartment and are let in, the rooms are ready so we start settling in. Excel wastes no time and gets in touch with Padge, he is living in Amsterdam and has met Excel before, Padge and I have chatted a few times online and he seems a nice chap. Padge is coming round and we will decide where to go from there. Excel offers to make tea but as will be the case often during the trip it fails to materialise
.It’s around lunchtime (timings are vague after this point,
) when Padge arrives and Excel introduces us. I notice quickly that Padge has the typical build of a rugby player and we were soon acquainted by our love of the game. Excel & I had made a start on the smokes which I had pre-rolled earlier and now he seems a little withdrawn. Padge has a bag of something nice and rolls a few of his and we share some of the SSH in the vape, probably not the best idea after very little sleep and a manic morning but what the heck I am on holiday 
. 3 of us head off to Barney’s Lounge. Barney’s as usual is great for customer service, no one queuing at the counter so we go up and ask the Budtenderess to look at Grinspoon and Pineapple Chunk. The Pineapple Chunk is pretty good looking and has that distinct aroma but it was not the best I’ve tried but it would be a nice smoke still. The Grinspoon, well I can never tell with this stuff, it looked pretty fresh, had the end of a tub of from Amnesia last year and it blew me away.
The stone sets in for me as we sit down to drinks, Excel tells me he has got me mint tea but I’m served what looks like an ordinary tea bag with hot water and milk on the side?? Confused I don’t add the milk and drink the tea but it doesn’t taste very minty
, my hearing is bad so I had misheard the waitress, apparently Excel had ordered 2 ordinary teas whilst she prepared the real mint leaf tea . Padge and I roll a few to pass round and Excel becomes even more withdrawn, we have a few smokes but neither Padge or I notice that Excel looks like he has a sweat on from eating a vindaloo curry. Fear not the BT has spotted his discomfort and swiftly arrives with a damp cool towel and ice, he is then offered a sweet sugar water to raise his levels and all is good. Lucky devil then has the BT make a real fuss of him as she caresses his head and massages his shoulders, what a put on. The mint tea was very authentic and refreshing. We leave thanking Barney’s for their super hospitality, they looked after us well.
We head back to the apartment with our purchases for a proper test of the vape, we still had a little SSH left but now had 2 other bags plus the nice buds that Padge had brought along, it was a good test and after a couple of hours Padge made his farewells and said he would meet us the next day. I’d lost my appetite through fatigue and smoking a few sativa dominant strains, Excel decides that we should refuel with suitable stoner munchies so that’s what we proceeded to do. I make hot teas (Excel, I’m sorry but the kettle story is going in later…….
), suitably refuelled we are ready for our next adventure to Greenhouse Namaste (cool name, small shop but nice).We arrive at Greenhouse and it’s the usual conundrum for me, so many strains, so much choice, what do I choose? Hash, bud or both? Then I see something I’ve never tried, Afghoeey. I couldn’t place the bouquet, floral? Spicy? Very pleasant anyhow. Excel went for Super Lemon Haze. We look at the Lemon Crystal, not sure we put it on our maybe list for another night. Our choices would have to be a little more selective from now on as we were starting to build a collection of smokes. We get drinks and sit down, Excel looks eagerly at me and is itching for me to roll one so I oblige. I knew before the trip that Excel was not a roller and made a joke with him about how much of a burden having to do all the rolling would be
I'm happy to toil 
.We decide we would go to the Bushdoctor near the Rembrandtplein and take a look at their extracts, another possible treat for our last night, ended up purchasing a 1g of quality Charas. Not sure if the BT tried to pull a fast one as he pulled out some soft Moroccan first before I pointed out that what we wanted was soft Indian hash.
We leave Bushdoctor but are lured back to Barney’s on the way back to our digs, we buy and fly with 1g Red Berry Cherry & 1g Royal Jelly hash, yummy.
It’s around 10pm now and we head back to our apartment tired but stoned happy, we relax to some chilled music in the apartment courtesy of spotify. Excel offers to make tea but it never appears, pattern emerging. I roll, we smoke and vape into the early hours of the morning before we decide to call it quits. So far so good, the day has been great fun with great company and the smokes have not been bad either. I sleep like a baby, tomorrow will start with a lie in, breakfast then off to Voyagers for Testing Tuesday.
Exceluk1:
Arrived in centrum at 1030 which was an hour before I thought I would, result. Now just to meet up with CM. Weather is a little overcast with a cold breeze but dry. Stood for less than 20 minutes taking in the sights and sounds, am I really here????
CM has already been in town for an hour and picked up some SSH from Prix Dami. Judging by the smile on his face we are good to head off to the apartment. BedandNet on Keizersgracht is where I had stayed on my virgin trip in September last year, it is no hotel but where it lacks it more than makes up for in character, location and making you feel like a local. We jumped on the No4 tram right outside centrum and headed off. A quick stock up on essentials for the room and we are soon sat with a brew and joint each. This is my 1st good smoke in some months and can feel the effect creep nicely. Padge joins us and we head for the local Barney's Lounge, 200m local, refreshed and now all smiling.
Barney's lounge - Small sized coffeeshop and I’d say a little cleaner / smarter than the others in the brand, due to the location it doesn't become overly busy too. Purchased a gram of Pineapple Chunk and Dr Grinspoon. The Pineapple did not give me the punch in flavour I’d hoped, but the effect was very good. The Dr Grinspoon I can't recall. Anyway I proceeded to nearly white out and had the lovely female staff look after me with a nice cold towel and neck rub
A walk, some fresh air and good to go.Greenhouse Namaste - Super Lemon Haze and afghooey.
The SLH is ok but again still not a patch in flavour to Voyagers. The Afghooey was a nice frosted bud with a nice effect and became a good mixer for later.we stayed for a chocomel and a quick joint and moved onto Bush Doctor. The one thing we wanted to do on this trip was to try some higher grade hash and Bush Doctor had a great selection, opting for a cheap manali cream that was sweet and spicy.
Back too Barneys - Thought it a good idea to head back to Barneys as we were both very tired from the full day and very stoned. We had a quick look at the Liberty melt @ 60e a gram which looked like a great extract but as we had no intention of dabbing we took a gram of Royal Jelly and red Cherry Berry. Back in the room the Royal Jelly was pasted into a joint and made a great smoke. The SLH was vaped but left me wanting for the Voyagers sample I had last trip.
). Excel is already up and finding music to play on Spotify. I put the kettle on whilst I go brush my teeth in readiness for our 1st wake n bake in Amsterdam this week. Whilst I’m in the bathroom I notice that there is something strange about our WC, there is a bin next to the loo for waste paper tissue, what’s that all about 
! Luckily there is a communal bathroom upstairs that does not have these issues.
. I look at the clock, wow its 4am, both Excel and I have totally lost track of time. Time for bed. As I tuck myself in and switch off the light I think about the day, another great day and 2 more still to go 